Jake DeBrusk Bio
Jake DeBrusk is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger for the Vancouver Canucks in the National Hockey League (NHL). Born on October 17, 1996, in Edmonton, Alberta, he was drafted 14th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Standing 6 feet tall and weighing 188 pounds, DeBrusk has built a reputation as a streaky scorer who tends to elevate his game in the Stanley Cup playoffs.
After spending the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Boston Bruins, DeBrusk signed a long-term deal with the Vancouver Canucks in July 2024. He is the son of former NHL forward and Hockey Night in Canada broadcaster Louie DeBrusk, giving him a deep hockey pedigree from childhood.
Early Life and Background
Jake DeBrusk was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta, a city with a long-standing love affair with hockey. Growing up in a hockey household, he was immersed in the sport from an early age. His father, Louie DeBrusk, played 401 NHL games across stints with the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, and Chicago Blackhawks before transitioning into broadcasting as a colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada.
That family connection shaped Jake’s path. With a parent who had lived through the grind of professional hockey, Jake understood both the rewards and the demands of the sport before he ever stepped on the ice at a competitive level. Edmonton, often called a hockey hotbed, gave him access to strong amateur programs and a culture that prized the sport above almost everything else.
Path to Hockey
DeBrusk’s junior career began in the Western Hockey League when he was taken in the seventh round of the 2011 WHL Bantam Draft by the Swift Current Broncos. He developed steadily with that franchise and was selected for the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game in 2015, signalling his arrival on the national radar. During the 2014–15 WHL season with the Broncos, he posted 81 points in 72 games, a breakout performance that pushed him up draft boards.
On December 26, 2015, Swift Current traded him to the Red Deer Rebels, and he went on to represent the host Rebels at the 2016 Memorial Cup, where they were eliminated in the semi-final by the Rouyn-Noranda Huskies. Ranked 19th among North American skaters by the NHL Central Scouting Bureau, DeBrusk was selected 14th overall by the Boston Bruins in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, launching his professional career.
Jake DeBrusk Career
Early Career (2016–2018)
After being drafted by the Bruins, DeBrusk signed a three-year entry-level contract and was assigned to the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League for the 2016–17 season. He responded with 19 goals and 30 assists in 74 games and added six goals and three assists in 17 playoff contests as Providence reached the Eastern Conference Finals of the Calder Cup playoffs before falling to the Syracuse Crunch.
That success earned him a spot on Boston’s opening-night roster for the 2017–18 season. DeBrusk made an immediate impact, recording his first NHL goal and assist in the Bruins’ 4–3 win over the Nashville Predators, with his father Louie in the stands at TD Garden. He finished his rookie campaign with 16 goals and 27 assists and showed flashes of playoff brilliance, scoring five goals and two assists in a seven-game opening-round victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Boston Bruins Breakthrough (2018–2020)
In 2018–19, DeBrusk bumped his goal total to 27 despite battling through injuries, helping Boston to another deep postseason run. He was at the centre of a controversial moment in Game 2 of the first round against Toronto when he was cross-checked by Nazem Kadri, an incident that led to a multi-game suspension for the Leafs forward. DeBrusk added a goal and two assists in the final four games of the second-round series against Columbus and contributed in a four-game sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals.
DeBrusk reached the Stanley Cup Finals with Boston in 2019 against the St. Louis Blues, recording a goal and three assists across the series. The Bruins ultimately fell in seven games. In the shortened 2019–20 season, DeBrusk scored 19 goals before the campaign was halted by the COVID-19 pandemic. He added four goals in 13 postseason games inside the NHL bubble but could not help Boston avenge its earlier Finals loss, as the Bruins were eliminated in five games by the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Vancouver Canucks Era (2024–Present)
On July 1, 2024, after seven seasons with the Bruins, DeBrusk signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks. He adjusted quickly to his new surroundings and finished the 2024–25 season with a career-best 28 goals and 48 points. Despite his individual production, the Canucks missed the playoffs, falling six points short of a wildcard spot.
The Vancouver move gave DeBrusk a fresh start and a top-six role on the left side. His scoring pace carried over from his late Boston years, suggesting he has found a stable fit on the West Coast.
Driving Style and Strengths
DeBrusk is best known for his quick release, his off-pace skating, and his willingness to attack the net with the puck. He plays a north-south style that thrives on the rush, and his finishing touch shows up most clearly against pace-conscious opponents. Coaches have consistently used him in a middle-six scoring role, where his shot volume and forechecking pressure tend to generate second-chance opportunities.
Notable Events and Milestones
DeBrusk’s most memorable early moment came on opening night of the 2017–18 season, when he scored his first NHL goal in front of his father at TD Garden. He later delivered a natural hat trick against the Los Angeles Kings on February 28, 2022, and scored both goals in the 2023 NHL Winter Classic at Fenway Park, a 2–1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. He has also authored multiple multi-point performances in Game 7 settings against Toronto.
Jake DeBrusk Career Wins
DeBrusk has built a steady NHL resume with multiple 20-goal seasons and a long track record of stepping up in the postseason. While he has not yet won a major individual trophy, his combination of regular-season scoring and playoff production has made him a dependable middle-six winger.
NHL Highlights
Across his time with the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks, DeBrusk has recorded a career-high 28 goals and 48 points in a single season, a mark he set in 2024–25. He tied that goal total with 27 in both 2018–19 and 2022–23, the latter of which also produced a career-high 50 points. He has appeared in the Stanley Cup Finals once, in 2019, and has reached the Eastern Conference Finals on multiple occasions.
Other Wins and Performances
At the junior level, DeBrusk helped lead the Red Deer Rebels to the 2016 Memorial Cup as the host team. He also represented the Swift Current Broncos at the 2015 CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game, an honour reserved for the top draft-eligible players in Canadian major junior hockey.
Jake DeBrusk Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Jake DeBrusk comes from a strong hockey family. His father, Louie DeBrusk, played 401 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Phoenix Coyotes, and Chicago Blackhawks before moving into broadcasting as a colour commentator for Hockey Night in Canada. Louie’s career gave Jake an insider’s view of professional hockey from childhood.
Personal Life
DeBrusk maintains close ties to his Edmonton roots and to his father, who has remained a visible presence around the game. He signed a seven-year, $38.5 million contract with the Vancouver Canucks in 2024 that runs through the 2030–31 season.
2025 Season Performance
Heading into 2025–26, DeBrusk enters his second season with the Vancouver Canucks coming off a career-best 28-goal, 48-point campaign. The Canucks missed the playoffs by six points in 2024–25, leaving DeBrusk and the club with unfinished business and clear motivation to climb back into the Western Conference picture.
DeBrusk’s scoring touch has trended upward since the start of the 2021–22 season, and his comfort level in Vancouver should only grow with a second year in the system. If he can replicate his 2024–25 production while the Canucks tighten up defensively, he is well positioned to return to the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since Boston’s 2019 Finals run.
